When the bride and groom give their DJ a brief that reads "absolute cardio sesh" you know you're in for a good (potentially sweaty) time. It wasn't just the dance floor at Ellen and James's Hunter Valley wedding that stood out though - every detail of their day at The Woodhouse was carefully considered and perfectly executed. 

From the gelato cart and pasta cheese wheel to the wedding styling and the venue's cigar tree-lined driveway, everything played into their Italian countryside theme. There were plenty of personal touches too, including a beautiful butterfly release as a tribute to Ellen's dad during their outdoor ceremony.

Despite a few hiccups (read: a missing suit, a bogged car and torrential rain the day before) it was a perfect European-inspired wedding featuring some of the industry's best vendors including their wedding photographer and wedding videographer Rope and Pulley and their content creator By Lucy who captured it all. Check it out below. 

How did you and James meet? We had been set up on a blind date by our best friends. The date went terribly wrong all from some miscommunication where I paid the bill instead of James and was left with the impression that James was a little frugal. Fast forward three years and we were both in the wedding party of said best friends in the Caribbean.

During the wedding week we still didn't hit it off, it wasn't until we reached Spring break in Miami that we began to appreciate each other and shared our first kiss. 

The proposal: James proposed to me on his birthday. He is very clever and calculated and sought help from my best friend, Emma. She convinced me to throw James a surprise picnic for his birthday, so while I was sneaking around planning a simple birthday picnic Emma and James had organised an elite proposal picnic.

James was dropping hints like how nice it was to have a white party a few years back so naturally I told everyone to wear white. James also said it would be a good day to renew our licences and so I did my hair and make up for the occasion. Still having no clue I even blindfolded James to get him to the surprise picnic I thought I had planned but once he took off the blindfold and knelt down on one knee I finally realised what was happening, the surprise was really on me. I said YES in front of all our friends and family. 

The venue: We had just come back from a year of travel in Europe so we were looking for a venue with a Tuscan vibe - think lush greenery and cigar trees - and The Woodhouse in Wollombi had both. 

It also had multiple outdoor spaces for a ceremony and a place where all our wedding party could stay the night before the wedding. Casey the event coordinator was also so helpful during the process and made everything so streamlined. 

The vibe: We were going for Italian countryside vibes, which I think we nailed with the cigar trees fence line and the pasta cheese wheel and gelato cocktail hour.

Our reception scope was "absolute cardio sesh" which our DJ totally delivered on.

We really just wanted everyone we love to have a good time and celebrate our love with us, it was just a big ol' party sprinkled with romance and humour. 

Traditions (adopted, adapted or ditched): Our wedding was mostly traditional, we didn't have a first look and ditched the bouquet toss but incorporated some modern traditions like the champagne tower and booked Tommy from Wedding Chats who interviewed our beloved guests and filmed them saying how much they love us and why. 

We also had Lucy from Reels by Lucy capture all the content from behind the scenes and we had this footage back within 24 hours! Best investment!

Hit (or near) miss: The days leading up to the wedding we had torrential rain, flood and wind warnings. We were panicking as we imagined our perfect day with an outdoor ceremony and enjoying the new cocktail hour area in the sunshine. Instead we were panic buying umbrellas and coming up with wet weather plans. 

My mum also got stuck in the mud at the venue the night before the wedding and had to be pushed out by another guest then she got lost in the car on the way back to her accommodation with no reception. The groomsmen went out in the rain looking for her. Very Eventful. 

But we woke up on the day of the wedding and it turned out to be the most perfect, sunny, miracle day.

James's wedding party were all coming from England, two weeks before the wedding something had come up and the best man was not able to make it to Australia, turned out to be a silver lining as another groomsman had lost his suit in the mail and so ended up using the best man's suit. The wedding party was uneven... but that's trendy now right?

The outfit/s: James had inspo from one of his favourite Carlton Football Players who had gotten married only months before us. And I said yes to the dress while shopping with my mum in Sydney on Mother's Day (such a special memory!).

I'll always remember... Walking down the aisle to see James crying. As someone who doesn't wear their emotions on their sleeve this was a really special moment. Actually, our whole ceremony was amazing... I don't think there was a dry eye in the house and we did a butterfly release in memory of my dad. 

Standout vendors: All our vendors are amazing! I would recommend every single one of them! Our photographer and videographer, Matt and Katy from Rope and Pulley are exceptional and a down to earth, fun couple. The dynamic duo made us all feel so comfortable on the day and captured the candid moments perfectly.

Lia and Amelia from Events to Adore/Designs to Adore are the sweetest and absolutely nailed it. I had tried to DIY and sourced most of the table decor on my own but I'm so grateful I found these ladies who brought the whole vision to life and transformed the reception into our dream wedding. They treated our wedding as if it were their own.

Alicia from Alicia's Personal Hair Design gets it every time. She was one of the girls while getting ready the morning of and is such a professional.

Soundtrack: Aisle song: "Daylight", by Taylor Swift. Butterfly release memorial: "Here Comes the Sun", by The Beatles. Recessional: "Everlasting Love", by Natalie Cole. Reception entrance: "Gimme Gimme Gimme", by Abba. Cake cutting: "How Sweet It Is (To be Loved by You), by James Taylor. First dance: "She's The One", by Robbie Williams. 

Words of wedding wisdom: This is your day for your type A personality to come out - assign tasks to your wedding party. It was so helpful on the day, it really helped having a stress free day knowing any decisions were taken care of by someone we trusted. It also meant people made sure we ate and drank and had a great time ourselves, after all everyone is there to celebrate your love.

Enjoy being the centre of attention and soak in every wonderful moment, you've just married the love of your life!

Budget: We started with a 50K budget but this quickly added up to more, we had everything we wanted at our wedding and every dollar spent was worth it. Wouldn't change a thing for our dream wedding!

The future: We are expecting a baby boy in January 2025, so are looking forward to our next chapter as parents! 

CREDITS: Photos and video Rope and Pulley // Venue The Woodhouse // Celebrant Lauren Elle Celebrant // Florist Whimsical Fox Events // Styling Events to Adore // Catering Fennel & Co. // Cake Caked by Beck // Stationery Designs to Adore // Bridal gown Jessica Couture via Brides in Love (ceremony) and Chosen by Kyha (reception) // Bride's shoes and accessories The White Collection // Veil Brides in Love // Bridesmaid dresses Sheike // Robes The Villa and Notte Collective //  Suits and ties Peter Jackson // Hair Alicia's Personal Hair Design // Makeup Zay Beauty Makeup Artist // Music Newcastle Lakemac DJs and Kylie Jane Music // Content creator By Lucy // MC Wedding Chats // Gelato Spoon Bay Gelato // Favours Ink and Snow // Photo booth Hunter Valley Mirror Booth